Rick Stansbury

Richard Lee Stansbury (born December 23, 1959), is an American college basketball coach who most recently was an assistant coach at the University of Memphis. He was the head coach at Western Kentucky from 2016 to 2023 and at Mississippi State from 1998 to 2012. Stansbury completed his tenure at Mississippi State ranked 9th all-time in Southeastern Conference (SEC) wins. He is a member of the Campbellsville University Athletics Hall of Fame."Tiger Tracks", ''The Campbellsvillian'', Vol. 12, No. 2 (Summer 2014), p. 25

Early life

Born in Battletown, Kentucky, Stansbury played high school basketball for Meade County High School in Brandenburg, Kentucky from which he graduated in 1977. From 1977 to 1981, he played college basketball at Campbellsville College (now Campbellsville University) in Campbellsville, Kentucky. He led the team to the NAIA Tournament in his senior season.

Coaching career

Early coaching career

Stansbury began his coaching career at his alma mater as a student assistant (1982–83). Following his stint at Campbellsville, he served as a graduate assistant at Cumberland College (now University of the Cumberlands) in Williamsburg, Kentucky (1983–84). There, he helped to lead the team to a 31–5 mark and a second round appearance in the NAIA Tournament.

In 1984, Stansbury moved to Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he served a six-year term as an assistant, helping guide that team to three consecutive winning seasons, beginning with a conference tournament championship and a subsequent NCAA tournament second round berth during the 1986–87 season, while the Governors posted a mark of 20–12.

Mississippi State

After leaving Austin Peay, Stansbury served as an assistant coach at Mississippi State under Richard Williams from 1990 to 1994. He became Williams' associate head coach and top recruiter in 1994 and remained in that position until 1998. During those eight seasons, the Bulldogs won the Southeastern Conference (SEC) regular season championship (1991), twice won the SEC West crown (1995 and 1996), won the SEC tournament championship (1996); advanced to the Sweet 16 in back to back years (1995 and 1996) and reached the Final Four in 1996.http://www.mstateathletics.com/doc_lib/mbk_0607mg_history.pdf

Taking over the helm as the Bulldogs head coach in 1998, Stansbury led his team to postseason tournament play 11 times in 14 seasons (six NCAA and five NIT tournaments), with five consecutive post-season tournament appearances, the first MSU basketball coach in history to accomplish this feat. His 2001–02 MSU team compiled the most wins in a single season in school history (27). Also achieved the highest national ranking in school history in 2003–04, No. 2 in the country (finished 26–4). Stansbury also owns MSU's record for consecutive 20-win seasons with four from 2001 to 2005 and again from 2006 to 2010.

From his days as an MSU assistant until 2012, Stansbury was part of over 15 postseason tournament appearances. Prior to his arrival at Mississippi State, MSU had two post-seasons in 27 years (both NIT). He was also 21–8 vs conference in-state rival, the Mississippi Rebels.

During the 2007–08 season, Stansbury passed Williams as the all-time most successful basketball coach at Mississippi State, with 192 wins. Stansbury retired with 293 wins, ranking 9th in the history of the SEC. Stansbury announced his retirement on March 15, 2012; he cited a desire to spend more time with his family.

Texas A&M

In May 2014, he was back into coaching as an assistant at Texas A&M for Billy Kennedy. On April 10, 2015, Stansbury was promoted to Associate Head Coach. Stansbury was instrumental in assembling a recruiting class for the Aggies that earned a consensus top-10 national ranking and was widely viewed as one of the most impressive in the school's history. During the 2015–2016 season, Texas A&M won their first SEC Regular Season title in school history. They also advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament, after the historic comeback victory against the University of Northern Iowa.

Western Kentucky

On March 28, 2016, Stansbury was hired as head coach at Western Kentucky University, replacing Ray Harper who resigned March 17, 2016. During Stansbury's time on the Hill, he led the Hilltoppers to four 20-win seasons, a Conference USA Eastern Season title, a NIT semifinal appearance, and a Conference USA Regular Season title during his tenure.

Stansbury's defensive philosophy is centered around limiting assisted baskets and forcing opponents to take difficult shots. His teams consistently rank among the best in opposing assist rates, with Stansbury ranked 8th in college basketball history with a rate of 48.7%.KenPom. "Offense vs. Defense: Assist Rate." KenPom.com, https://kenpom.com/blog/offense-vs-defense-assist-rate/. This indicates a defensive approach that minimizes easy scoring opportunities, often requiring opponents to generate offense off the dribble. While some teams allow high volumes of 3-point attempts or assists, Stansbury's defenses excel in disrupting offensive flow, creating tough, low-percentage shots. This emphasis on defensive discipline contributes significantly to his teams' overall success.

Stansbury led Western Kentucky to 11 victories over Power Five teams, including three wins against ranked opponents. In comparison, the remaining 13 teams in Conference USA collectively secured just seven such wins. The Hilltoppers defeated their in-state rival Louisville Cardinals during the 2020–21 season, marking the program's first ever win over Louisville in E.A. Diddle Arena.

From 2017-22, Western Kentucky consistently ranked among the top teams in the conference, finishing either first or second in the regular season or conference tournament each year."WKU Hilltopper Basketball Media Guides." Western Kentucky University Athletic Department. Retrieved April 30, 2021. During that time, Western Kentucky achieved outright top-3 finishes in conference play for four consecutive seasons, the first time they have done so since 1969–72.

In 2021–22, the Hilltoppers became the first team in Conference USA history to reach the conference championship game in three consecutive seasons. During the 2022–23 season, Stansbury moved into 8th place on the all-time wins list in Conference USA history. Stansbury resigned on March 11, 2023, citing needing to focus on his health and family.

Memphis

Shortly after his tenure at Western Kentucky, Stansbury was hired as an assistant for Penny Hardaway. While Hardaway was suspended in 2023–24, Stansbury won all three games he coached, including a win at Missouri. Stansbury was tasked with recruiting and constructing the 2024-25 roster through the transfer portal. The 2024–25 team had three former transfers named to the American Conference First Team, the most from the same team in American Conference history. Memphis in 2024-25 won the American Conference Regular Season for the first time in school history.Memphis basketball wins first-ever American Athletic Conference title. "Memphis basketball wins first-ever American Athletic Conference title." *Yahoo Sports*. 2024-03-10. Retrieved 2025-04-08. https://sports.yahoo.com/article/memphis-basketball-wins-first-ever-041302156.html

Head coaching record

References

External links

Mississippi State profile

Western Kentucky profile

Texas A&M profile

Memphis profile

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stansbury, Rick
American men's basketball players
Austin Peay Governors men's basketball coaches
Basketball coaches from Kentucky
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Campbellsville Tigers men's basketball coaches
Campbellsville Tigers men's basketball players
Cumberlands Patriots men's basketball coaches
Mississippi State Bulldogs men's basketball coaches
People from Clarksville, Tennessee
People from Meade County, Kentucky
Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball coaches
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball coaches
Memphis Tigers men's basketball coaches
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